How dishwasher works
Basically, a dishwasher is a appliance that cleans and rinses dirty dishes. Humans have to load the dishes, add detergent, set the proper washing cycles and turn it on, but the dishwasher accomplishes a whole series of functions by itself. A dishwasher:

­In addition, dishwashers monitor themselves to make sure everything is running properly. A timer (or a small computer) regulates the length of each cycle. A sensor detects the water and air ­temperature to prevent the dishwasher from overheating or damaging your dishes. Another sensor can tell if the water level gets too high and activates the draining function to keep the dishwasher from overflowing. Some dishwashers even have sensors that can detect the dirtiness of the water coming off the dishes. When the water is clear enough, the dishwasher knows the dishes are clean

Dishwasher is a powerful tool that saves you time and that eases the household chore of washing dishes. But what happens behind that door after you have chosen all the settings and the luminous signal goes off?

Rinsing cycle
Almost all dishwashers have a pre-washing cycle that rinses dishes. Hot water is then brought into the appliance, but since it doesn’t fill up like a washing machine, it uses a lot less water. In this sense, appliances have progressed remarkably regarding water consumption these last years, the average consumption has been divided by two! Indeed, today’s dishwashers spend from 10 to 15 litres of water during a whole washing cycle, as opposed to 20 to 30 litres in the mid-90’s.
Principal washing cycle
When the principal washing cycle starts, the distributor’s door lets the detergent out so that it mixes up with the water. This solution is brought through sprinklers that turn so that the water reaches all the dishes to wash.
Rinsing cycle
Your appliance can do more than one rinsing cycle. Cold water rinsing eliminates dirty water, then hot water rinsing, accompanied by the rinsing product, will keep water drops that contain residues stay on your dishes, dry, and leave stains.
Drying cycle
Depending on the model you own, your dishes will dry either by the residual heat of the washing or by the triggering of the drying cycle that results in a quicker drying. A less energy-consuming alternative to the drying cycle is to simply open the door of your dishwasher once the rinsing cycle is over.
Water temperature
To get sparkly clean dishes, a dishwasher needs hot water. At an elevated temperature, not only does water contribute to dissolving stains, but it disinfects also your dishes. Avoid turning the dishwasher on when you’re using hot water for a shower or laundry. A simple trick is to verify if the water is hot enough is to fill a glass of water from the kitchen tap and to take its temperature with a meat thermometer or other. If the water doesn’t reach 60 °C (140 °F), consult the instruction manual of your water tank or ask a professional to make the necessary adjustments.